The third rocket launch of June from California could be about a day away, and (pending weather and cloud cover) Arizonans should be able to see it.
SpaceX, the commercial spaceflight company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, is preparing to launch its Falcon 9 rocket on the latest Starlink satellite delivery from the West Coast. The Starlink missions have become by far the most frequent and common rocket launches from Southern California – having comprised all six spaceflight missions in May from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
The two-stage 230-foot-tall rocket, one of the world’s most active, has become crucial in regularly deploying batches of internet-beaming Starlink satellites into what’s called low-Earth orbit — an altitude that allows for things like satellites to circle Earth fairly quickly.
The good news for residents of Arizona is they have plenty of opportunities to see the Falcon 9 rocket soaring after it gets off the ground from the neighboring state.
But it’s important to keep in mind that rocket launches can be — and often are — scrubbed or delayed due to any number of factors, including poor weather conditions or unexpected issues with spacecraft. Check back with azcentral.com for any updates on the impending rocket launch.
Here’s what to know about the launch, as well as when and where to watch it:
California rocket launches: Here’s a look at the upcoming schedule from Vandenberg
What time is the SpaceX rocket launch from California?
A Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory suggests SpaceX is targeting the launch for as early as Friday, June 13, with backup opportunities Saturday, June 14.
However, multiple websites that track rocket launches suggest the launch window could open at 6:46 p.m. PT Thursday, June 12.
Neither Vandenberg Space Force Base nor SpaceX have yet officially confirmed the launch.
The launch, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to deliver the Starlink satellites, will take place from Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County.
Following the delivery and deployment of the satellites, the Falcon 9 rocket’s booster will aim to land on a SpaceX drone ship, nicknamed “Of Course I Still Love You,” in the Pacific Ocean. This allows for SpaceX personnel to recover the booster so it can be reused in future spaceflights.
How to watch SpaceX Starlink launch livestream
SpaceX provides a livestream of the launch on its website beginning about five minutes before liftoff, along with updates on social media site X, which Elon Musk also owns.
California rocket launch could be visible in Arizona: Where to watch
Because of Arizona’s proximity to the launch site, there’s a good chance people there can see the spacecraft streak across the sky, especially at night or very early morning.
Here’s a list of some possible viewing locations compiled by The Arizona Republic, a USA TODAY Network publication.
Dobbins Lookout, South Mountain, 10919 S. Central Ave., Phoenix, Arizona
Papago Park, 625 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, Arizona
Black Canyon City, an unincorporated community in Yavapai County, Arizona
Any mountain park in Arizona
What is SpaceX?
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, founded SpaceX in 2002.
The commercial spaceflight company is headquartered at Starbase in South Texas near the U.S.-Mexico border. The site, which is where SpaceX has been conducting routine flight tests of its 400-foot megarocket known as Starship, was recently voted by residents to become its own city.
SpaceX conducts many of its own rocket launches, most using the Falcon 9 rocket, from both California and Florida. That includes a regular cadence of deliveries of Starlink internet satellites into orbit, and occasional privately funded commercial crewed missions on the Dragon.
The most recent of SpaceX’s private human spaceflights, a mission known as Fram2, took place in April. SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024.
SpaceX also benefits from billions of dollars in contracts from NASA and the Department of Defense by providing launch services for classified satellites and other payloads.
What is Starlink?
Owned by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Starlink is a constellation of more than 7,000 satellites that provide internet service to customers around the world. SpaceX has spent more than six years delivering the satellites to orbit with a regular cadence of rocket launches from both Florida and California.
While most satellite internet services operate from single geostationary satellites orbiting Earth at about 22,236 miles, Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that operate from a low-Earth orbit, about 341 miles up. That allows Starlink’s satellites to have lower latency and data time between user and the satellite, improving performance of things like streaming, online gaming and video calls.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Is there a rocket launch today? SpaceX liftoff may be seen in Arizona